


The moments in-between; how we fall in love (Or Rose gets a cat because the Doctor can't say no)

by UntemperedWolf



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, He knows it, Honestly me posting a fic after nearly two years, I wrote this to procrastinate writing another fic, Jack is only mentioned, Not Beta'd, Rose gets a cat, Rose has got the Doctor wrapped around her little finger, Unintentionally, going out of 2020 with a bang, hope y'all enjoy, i wrote this in two hours, i'm ending the year with nine/rose cuteness, is perhaps the biggest surprise 2020 has delivered, it includes a scene of Nine cuddling a cat which imo everyone Needs, it really has no point, jack knows it, just fluff, just wrote to fulfil my fantasy of nine and a cat, on the account of writing it in two hours, she knows it, since all I've been saying is this is the cutest shit, the cat probably knows it, this fic in two hours has become infamous in my house, this is perhaps the cutest thing I've written in so long, yes even after you know what
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:55:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28457175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UntemperedWolf/pseuds/UntemperedWolf
Summary: "Okay, don’t stroke him. I wish Jack was here so at least someone would have fun with me.” Rose glances at the Doctor, seeing as his expression shifts. She knows she couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice or the glint out of her eye, and knows he must know she’s playing him, but still, he rises to the bait."Hey—I’m plenty fun, thank you very much.” The Doctor response, offense in his voice. At with that, he rises a hand to stroke the cat, even letting the cat cuddle against him in response. Rose smiles, but not because she was successful, but because the image of the Doctor cuddling a cat is perhaps the cutest thing she’s ever seenIn which, Rose falls in love with an (alien) cat and the Doctor can't say no.
Relationships: Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	The moments in-between; how we fall in love (Or Rose gets a cat because the Doctor can't say no)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! I came up with this fic idea years ago, but recently when looking through my old documents, I found this idea, and inspiration stuck once more and voilà, two hours later here we are.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy, especially if like me, the image of nine cuddling a cat is something you Need in your life! And happy new year! :)

It is what humans would call winter on Rulux.

The Doctor had told Rose what they call it themselves, but the word is long and complicated and Rose is unsure if she could even make those sounds. As it is winter, there is a brisk, cold breeze in the air, and Rose is glad that the Doctor had remembered to tell her to wrap up warmly—something he’s forgotten only three times before, but to Rose, it is three times too many.

They parked the TARDIS outside this Ruluxian town, since even as they allow and like off-worlders onto their planet, they’re very strict with their rules for where spaceships are meant to land. The Doctor, naturally, hadn’t obeyed these rules—time wasting, he had called them—but respecting his promise to her for a ‘trouble free' day, he had parked where no one would have a chance to see them arrive.

The walk into town was not a short one, and maybe before, in her life before the Doctor, Rose would’ve hated it, but that is no longer in her nature.

The Ruluxian landscape is beautiful; full of bright, magical colours. It is a beauty quite unlike Rose has seen, and she had been amazed how still, after months of travelling the galaxies, that she could be still blown away.

However, even in all it’s beauty, the landscape isn’t what made the walk not only bearable but enjoyable. They—the Doctor and her—walked hand in hand. The Doctor gripping her hand tighter than usual, the way he always does when they’re somewhere cold. And they had walked closely together, their sides brushing up against one another, their arms connected, linked around one another. And even though Jack was walking right beside them, Rose felt as if they were within their own world.

Moments like that is what Rose lives for, as exciting as the seeing different worlds, the running, the saving the day—the moments in between, when they’re just strolling together, close together to keep her warm, a peacefulness in the air...those are what makes travelling with the Doctor so special.

When they had reached town, the Doctor had explained that it is Market Day, a day every start of their planet’s months, dedicated just to the markets, a burst of excitement and culture to experience on the day.

They—her, Jack and the Doctor—had gone stall to stall together, trying the foods, laughing together, deciding what to do next. They partook in some of the activities; Rose’s favourite being the Ruluxian’s version of Ribbon dancing. At first, only Jack and her had engaged in it, but together, they had successfully convinced the Doctor to join.

Although, Jack insisted to her after, in that hush-hush voice he teases her with, that their joint effort to convince him to join wasn’t their words, but Rose’s smile and, he expressed this as the most important factor, and that the Doctor had enough of his hands on Rose.

Rose admitted, inside her mind, _never_ to Jack, that he makes a good point. Rose isn’t blind, she knows how he looks at her, and how attached to one another they are, and how, almost _clingy_ , the Doctor has been to her since Jack joined.

But Rose refuses to let herself entertain these thoughts at any time except for late at night when she should be sleeping—if she accepts what Jack says and she sees as fact, her heart crushing disappointment at if she found out they’re wrong would be ever so more painful.

It is just her and the Doctor now, though. Jack had departed from the a while ago, wanting to explore the more ‘rowdy’ parts of town, and that is enough information for Rose. The Doctor had just given Jack a time to be back at the TARDIS at, and then Jack had left and Rose tried not to think much about how happy the Doctor seemed at it being just him and her again.

“Oh, look at them!” Rose exclaims, unlinking her arm from the Doctor’s to take a step nearer to the stand so she could closer at the fluffy cats the stall is showing. Rose watches as they play together, and her heart melts.

“They are _so_ cute!” Rose coos, looking back at the Doctor. He has a grumpy looking expression on his face, but that has never put off Rose before. She rolls her eyes at him, and grabs his hand, pulling him to her.

“Look at that one! Ooh, and that one! And _aw_ , look at them petting each other!” There is too much cuteness for Rose to focus on. Her eyes then catches sight of one cat, who has stopped playing with its playmates and had sat down to look at her. Rose tsks at the cat.

“Come here, little kitty, c’mon,” Rose encourages, knowing that she must hold one, and having seen others pick them up, she knows that she is allowed to. From next to her, the Doctor grumbles.

“Rose, they’re not technically cats, they just resemble your earth cats as they’re distantly related,” He corrects her, putting on his _silly-human_ voice. Rose pays no attention to him—the best approach to a grumpy Doctor—especially as the cat makes his way to her.

The cat is a white, black and ginger mix, looking rather like a Calico cat, and his fur is long, fluffy and ever so soft. Rose’s heart constricts, instantly falling in love with it. She picks the cat up, cuddling him to her.

“Oh, you’re so, _so_ adorable. Yes, you are, just far too adorable,” Rose coos to the kitten, giggling when the cat nuzzles his nose into her neck. Next to her, the Doctor still looks grumpy, his arms crossed as Rose has forgone his hand again, for the cat.

“Rose, you don’t even know where that’s been.” The Doctor sounds exasperated. Rose rolls her eyes at him again, turning back to the cat.

“Don’t mind him, he’s grumpy,” She tells the cat. The Doctor makes a noise of complaint at that, but before he can say anything, Rose extends the cat out to him.

“C’mon, Doctor, stroke him! He’s _soooo_ soft! C’mon, look how friendly he is—he likes you!” Rose encourages as the cat tries to nose against him. The Doctor leans back slightly in response. Immediately, in response, Rose pouts.

“Don’t be grumpy, everyone loves cats! And I know you do—I’ve seen you pet strays! So c’mon, he’s just a little kitty, don’t be shy!” Rose steps closer to the doctor, leaning gently against him as she pushes the cat against his chest.

His expression is still stiff, grumpy, but for a second there’s a flicker—a flicker of a smile, of amusement. Rose grins, _success!_ It’s with ease she can penetrate through his grumpiness and wall, but each time she does it, Rose gets a rush of happiness.

The Doctor is still not cuddling, or even stroking the cat, so Rose deploys her final method. She turns away slightly from him, putting on her pout.

“Okay, don’t stroke him. I wish Jack was here so at least _someone_ would have fun with me.” Rose glances at the Doctor, seeing as his expression shifts. She knows she couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice or the glint out of her eye, and knows he must know she’s playing him, but still, he rises to the bait.

“Hey—I’m plenty fun, thank you very much.” The Doctor response, offense in his voice. At with that, he rises a hand to stroke the cat, even letting the cat cuddle against him in response. Rose smiles, but not because she was successful, but because the image of the Doctor cuddling a cat is perhaps the cutest thing she’s ever seen.

“Isn’t he adorable?” Rose joins the Doctor in stroking the cat, leaning back into him as she does so. She glances up at the Doctor, noting how there’s a slight blush on his cheeks and that he swallows before responding to her.

“Yes, Rose, he is,” he concedes. Rose grins, victoriously.

“See, I knew you were a big softie!” Rose exclaims, resting her head on him, against the slope of where his neck meets his shoulder.

“Just like you are!” Rose coos at the cat again, nosing him. She looks back up at the Doctor. “He is so soft—softer than any cat I’ve ever stroked!”

The Doctor sighs, as he continues to stroke the cat. “That’s because he’s not a cat—he may not even be a he. Humans, and assuming genders.” Rose fixes him a look.

“I’m not assuming, it’s mean to just say _it!_ And look at him, he’s clearly a he! Look at that face! The cutest little gentleman I’ve ever seen,” Rose retorts.

“Yes, ma’am, he is indeed a cute one. His personality is quite playful, and friendly as you can see. He has a calm demeanour, making him perfect for frequent travelling couples first pet like you two.” Without Rose noticing, the owner of the stall had approached them, and has started his sale pitch.

“Oh no, we’re not—” Both her and the Doctor begin, once again starting their speech about not being a couple. The seller immediately looks apologetic.

“I’m sorry, the off-worlders we usually get at this time usually tends to be frequent travellers.” He apologies, completely missing what they are protesting about. Instead of continuing, without addressing one another, both Rose and the Doctor decide to drop the whole thing—from experience, it can be quite exhausting correcting people.

“Nevertheless, this little fellow makes the perfect companion. The whole package of friendly, playful and calm—perfect for travellers or even for couples planning to start a family,” The seller continues, and they baulk at his words, his suggestion of what point of their lives they’re at.

“Ah, no, thank you. We’re just looking not buying.” At that, the Doctor jumps into action, shutting down the seller immediately. The Doctor takes the cat from Rose, handing it back to the rather taken back seller.

This is how Rose should’ve predicted the moment to end, that she wouldn’t get a final snuggle of the kitten before they move on, and in some ways, she was prepared for that; such is life with the Doctor.

She was not, however, prepared for the wail the kitten made at being parted from them, and how it much it hurts her heart.

Rose looks up at the Doctor, alarmed at the sudden noise of the cat. In the past, the Doctor hasn’t always spotted her distress in his impatience, but he does now, looking at her with a softened expression.

“He’s fine, just a little startled. They can get attached quickly—which is why people who are looking shouldn’t really pick them up—but he’s okay, he’ll settle soon. I shouldn’t have let you pick him up.” The Doctor explains.

“Oh, I’m sorry, little one,” Rose coos an apology at the upset kitten, guilt gripping at her. At the sound of her voice, the cat tries to pull away from the seller, and back towards her, wailing some more. Rose barely registers the Doctor grabbing at her hand and pulling her gently, her heart is breaking so much.

“C’mon, Rose. Let’s go find Jack,” The Doctor softly encourages.

“I can’t—listen to him! He’s so sad,” Rose cries, turning to look at him with tears in her eyes. “How can I leave him?”

The Doctor sighs softly, looking at her with gentle eyes. “We have to, I’m sorry.” 

“I have to give him a final cuddle.” Rose tells him, taking the cat back into her arms from the seller with a smooth swoop. The cat immediately cuddles into her, his wail turning into a content purr. At the warm feeling that floods through her, Rose wonders if it was a mistake to have a final cuddle, because now she feels even more reluctant to let him go.

“He’s only 65 Ruxes, sir. A reasonably price for your lady’s happiness,” The seller pipes up again. Rose expects the Doctor to turn him down, or at least protest to the lady part, but as she turns to look up at him, all she sees in a soft expression, silently looking at her.

After what feels like forever, the Doctor lets out a sigh, looking to the seller, his expression morphing into a more Doctor-like one. “Go on then,” he says, taking out some of the ruxes he had gotten earlier from his pocket.

After a few seconds, Rose’s mind catches up, and she realises what he just agreed to. She turns to him, beaming widely.

“Really? I can keep him?” Rose doesn’t know which emotion out of the burst of emotions she is feeling most dominantly there is so much; happiness, excitement, gratitude, love. The Doctor is looking grumpy again, but Rose knows he’s putting it on.

“Yes. But he’s your responsibility, okay? You look after him, feed him and play him. And he better not chew at the wires.” The Doctor responds. Giving _the—her!—cat_ a quick kiss on the head as she temporarily places him down, she jumps towards him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

“Thank you!” She says, tucking herself against him in gratitude. The Doctor wraps his arms around her in response, and if it wasn’t for soft mewling of her cat, Rose could live in the moment forever. When she pulls back, she kisses him briefly on the cheek, like she did the cat. And this time, it would be harder to ignore the blush on his face.

Rose spends the rest of the day beaming, one arm holding her new cat, the other linked to the Doctor as they get her cat a collar and toys, food and a bed. As they walk and shop the Doctor tells her about the species her car is, but Rose can barely listen, too overwhelmed with the love and affection she feels for him.

And when they’re back on the TARDIS, and it’s night and she’s about to go to bed, when she—and her cat—goes to the Doctor to say goodnight, and he looks at her with those eyes, and tells her he’s glad she’s happy, Rose’s heart practically bursts and she realises, no more trying to deny it: she loves the Doctor, and she’s more than certain that he loves her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I wish you all a very good 2021! Comments and kudos are always appreciated.


End file.
